White Fang's Legacy
by hinksay
Summary: Story about Kakashi's life after the Gaiden. Namikaze Minato and Jiraiya guide the genius son of Hatake Sakumo through hard times. No pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Spoilers** in both the story and the A/N at the end. 

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**

* * *

Chapter 1**

It has been three months since the Kannabi bridge mission, and Team Minato is not the same anymore. A month ago, Namikaze Minato was inaugurated as the Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Rin was no longer a field-active kunoichi, but rather, was called in to the hospital to refine her skills. Kakashi, well, Kakashi has not been doing so well. When the team got back short of a member, the Sandaime had decided that maybe it had been early for him to be a jounin, after all.

Jiraiya stood above the newly carved Fourth Hokage's face. His student had been back from a mission in which he lost a student of his, and had been too overprotective of the Hatake brat and the girl, Rin. Minato got the Sandaime to take them both out from the war, and offered to do more missions on his own. Well, at least the war was over within three weeks, and everything was good. But the countless sacrifices and losses from the war would not be forgotten. Shorty after the signing of the peace treaty, the Sandaime had decided that he needed some rest, so he named his successor. That was two months ago. Orochimaru left the village a week after Minato was named Yondaime. Jiraiya went after him, but came back with a little more than just a couple of bruises. Nothing much, but the feeling of betrayal was stronger, and hurt much more than any of his newly acquired wounds. He noticed how Tsunade's healing jutsu hurt, even as it healed him. He could tell that she wasn't anywhere near to trying to ease his pain. Was it because she was disappointed in him? Because he didn't stop Orochimaru? Or because she was worried about him?

As he thought about these things, Jiraiya decided to pay a visit to the memorial site where he was bound to find a certain student of his student. He had been watching the kid for a few days, and he would keep doing so until the right moment. He would let the kid have his chance to come back to his senses on his own. If not, he would step in and force him out of his grief. At least that seemed the young Hokage's intention regarding the unusual actions of the young jounin.

* * *

Minato was now standing in his office, looking out the windows. Being Hokage was not all about being the most powerful ninja in the village, nor was it about protecting his people. There was so much more to it. Who could have imagined that a single man would have to read, approve, sign, stamp, and stack those damn papers in a neat pile? And what about the fact that he couldn't eat properly? Or get enough sleep? Not to mention the fact that he didn't get to go on dates with Kushina. During the past month, he had so many appointments with damyos and the heads of certain organizations in Fire Country that he didn't even have time to have a talk with either of his students.

* * *

**_Flashback_**

"Sensei, I'm sorry. I was too weak, too stupid..." Kakashi started to talk to his sensei as he shifted to a kneeling position, after seeing that Rin was safe. Minato looked at him with understanding eyes. Kakashi was still looking at his fisted hands that he placed in front of his knees, above the cold boulder they were sitting on.

"Kakashi, you don't need to blame yourself. I told you already. I was the one who was late, I'm sorry." Minato placed a hand on Kakashi's silver-haired head and made eye-contact with his student. They talked through their eyes, the younger one frowning to prove his sensei wrong, that it was his _own_ fault, not his sensei's, and the older one easily pushing away those guilty eyes. Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to convey his message through a muted conversation. His sensei was just too good, too nice, too experienced.

"No, sensei. If only I had the courage to follow my father's steps. If I had listened to your words... Teamwork, _friends_... I'm sorry I didn't listen to you and I charged straight to the enemy with my Chidori..." As Kakashi said this, he closed his eyes, and let tears fall from his Sharingan, into his hands. Yes, it all started there and then. They had to stay back for half a day because of his stubbornly gained injury, while the enemy was on the watch, on the move.

Minato closed his eyes and relived those moments. How he got rid of the bunshin, how he moved fastly towards Kakashi and saved him from a fatal move, and how he killed that Stone-nin. Minato was surprised that Kakashi had mentioned Sakumo-san. It was a first. Ever since the man's funeral. He looked up at the starry sky, and gave a silent prayer. _"Obito... I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time to save you. Always the hyper one. With excuses to your tardiness that amused me to no end. Thank you for teaching Kakashi the lesson that I couldn't. Thank you for being part of my first team of genin, Obito." _Minato closed his eyes and remained silent for a while, for his prayer to sink in. Then he ruffled Kakashi's hair, harder than usual.

"This tragedy has made you grow up, Kakashi. A gain, a painful one, but as long as you use that eye to survive and save the people of Konoha, Kakashi, you'll get stronger. And I'm sure Obito will be proud of you. You'll have to live longer now, Kakashi. Obito is watching you." Kakashi looked up at him, and Minato smiled gently to the young boy who had become a man. _"Yes, definitely. Those eyes have grown much deeper, Kakashi." _Minato smiled sadly at the young man, and Kakashi lowered his sight once again to his fisted hands, where the last tears of his childhood had started to dry. After a silent ten minutes, Minato decided that they better get moving towards their target. They were still in war, after all. He wasn't going to let the remaining two die.

The Yellow Flash stood up and stretched. He jumped to the grass and called out to Rin. Rin, seeing that Kakashi was awake, and her sensei was ready to leave, walked back.

"Ok, team. We're moving out in five minutes. Let's do what we came here for." Minato gently slapped himself on both of his cheeks to wake himself up. Kakashi got up and came down next to his sensei. He stared at Rin, who had puffy and red eyes. He would have never imagined that his eyes looked the same as hers.

"Rin... I'm s-" Kakashi tried to apologize, but Rin cut him off.

"Kakashi, don't. None of this would've happened if I had been able to fight them in the first place. I was too weak... and that's why I was captured." Rin bowed her head, trying to hide the tears that were dropping into the grass. Minato saw that both needed a moment to themselves, so he slowly walked to the other side of the boulder to grab his bag.

"Let's get going, Rin, Kakashi. We better destroy it while it's still dark." He turned around and saw that Kakashi had put a hand over Rin, trying to console her. He walked towards them, and put a gentle smile on his face.

"Though it may be hard for a while, you guys will understand it someday. Trust me, I... have been through the same thing before, every shinobi does. But as long as you strive to live for those who have died, for their sake, for the lives that they could not lead, you guys will be fine. It all depends on how you guys think about it and whether you accept that fact or not. Obito won't blame you guys. He died like a true shinobi." Minato knew that a few words wouldn't be enough for them to understand everything fully, but that was all he could do at the moment. Besides, he couldn't break then and there. They still needed to get on with the mission, and he was supposed to be their sensei. Someone had to keep the team together.

"Let's get going." He placed both of his hands on their heads as a way of lifting their spirits.

They let out a weak "Yes, sir." each. Minato raised his right hand, and just like that last time when he dismissed Team Kakashi to complete their mission, he yelled out a "Let's go!", and the three headed out towards the bridge.

**_Flashback Ends_**

* * *

Minato smiled gently, and reminded himself to summon Kakashi in the morning. He had been hearing rumors and some reports about his student not doing what was assigned to him.

It took three weeks to end the war after the infiltration mission into Kannabi Bridge, and he had been named Sandaime's successor after peace was signed. It took about another month for him to learn the duties of the Hokage, and for all the papers to be signed and such. This past month he has been meeting with important figures of different countries to keep the peace terms intact even with the emergence of a new leader.

During the first month back, Kakashi was assigned to easier missions, and sometimes he was partnered with Rin to do some C-rank missions, all within the boundaries of Konoha. Both the Sandaime and Jiraiya saw that it was just too risky for the two-man cell to be doing anything above that. Especially, since Minato was out in the front-lines and had asked to remove them from the war. Kakashi didn't complain, and it showed Minato and the other two older men that the brat had grown up. The Sandaime remembered back when Kakashi had become a chuunin. Once, he got tired of D-rank missions, and refused to step out of the room without receiving a higher ranking mission. A true example of the kid's immaturity at that time.

A few days ago, Minato gave Kakashi a month off, in which he could get stronger, both mentally and physically. But the thing was, Kakashi did not engage in either, or so he heard. He spent his time in front of the memorial stone, mourning the dead, and letting his friend's Sharingan drain him of chakra. To think that Kakashi would not follow his order. Yes, he himself had assigned that task to Kakashi. To get stronger. After they returned from the boundaries of the country, a little hurt, a little broken, a little more grown up, he had expected Kakashi to understand the pain, the tragedy on his own, that it was not a matter of guilt. With all the events going on in his life, with becoming Hokage and what not, he had been unable to keep an eye on the now-man-boy. Now that he had a little more time to spare, he decided that he would put his student back in line. What were senseis for, anyway?

* * *

A/N: 

Well, it's been a long time since I've written anything. Mmm... I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, but I'll be updating soon. Hope you enjoyed! R&R please!

The story happens after Team Minato, or what is left of it, comes back from the infiltration mission. Kakashi will be my main focus, but if you feel like it, please read the following paragraph too.

Jiraiya's death in the last few chapters in the manga made me want to write more about him. I like the scenes where he talks with Kakashi, and that made me believe that they have more than what Kishimoto shows. Also, the fact that him and Tsunade see Kakashi as a worthy candidate for Hokage made me happy to no end. I think that their connection of being a student's student, and sensei's sensei should be more highlighted. Kakashi's respect for Jiraiya seems to come from previous encounters and through the 4th Hokage, Minato, rather than just from the fact that Jiraiya is one of the Sannin. So, this story will have interactions between the three generations of senseis and students. I might add some Sarutobi as well.

p.s.: Oh, and I strongly believe that Jiraiya and Hatake Sakumo were good friends. heh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Spoilers** in both the story and the A/N at the end.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

Kakashi was standing in front of the memorial stone. _"I can't do anything in this state. My chakra just runs out too fast."_ Kakashi thought about the impossibility of training with the eye trying to bare him of all of his chakra. He sighed time after time, and sometimes asked Obito for advice, though he knew that was pointless.

Kakashi had a hard time when he first got back from the mission. That afternoon, Obito's mother held on to his hand and looked into the Sharingan that was implanted on his left eye. She cried like that for a while until he himself couldn't support himself because of the draining of his chakra. His sensei had consoled her and taken inside the house. Kakashi passed out shortly after and he woke up the next day in the hospital.

The Uchihas hadn't been too nice about him having the Sharingan, and they had tried to take it from him, but Obito's parents, the Sandaime, and his sensei stopped them from doing so. Obito's parents didn't want their son's last will to go to waste by forcefully taking the Sharingan out of the kid. Kakashi didn't know if he had to be glad or angry with himself. No matter how much he thought about it, he sometimes felt like getting rid of Obito's present, more than just simply keeping it to himself. He wanted to keep it because it was Obito's gift, otherwise it would have been like betraying his friend. But to Obito's parents, that was the only part of their son that they got back. Wasn't it their right to have it back? And deep inside of him, there was this lump that actually wanted to get rid of the Sharingan becuase it cost him too much chakra and concentration. With these thoughts in mind along with the impossibility of controlling the Sharingan, he hadn't been able to train on his own, and follow his sensei's order. Or better put, he hadn't been _willing_ to train.

Yes, he was called a genius. Genin at five, chuunin at six, and jounin at thirteen. Son of the White Fang, student of the Yondaime Hokage. But he simply couldn't bring himself up to _this _challenge. He wasn't an Uchiha. He was a _Hatake_, for god's sake. That name that he had hated for the past five years. That was no longer the case, however. Obito made him realize that. His father _had_ been a hero. A _true_ hero. He was proud that the White Fang was his father. However, despite the facts that marked him as a 'genius', he didn't have the body to manage the Sharingan. That just wasn't his fate. How come everyone seemed to expect him to _learn_ how to _live_ with it?

It was already late, and the Sharingan was killing him. His legs started shaking, so he decided to go back home. Jiraiya had been watching his student's brat since the afternoon, as a favor to the _great_ Hokage. Jiraiya smirked as he saw Kakashi stumbling when he turned around to walk back to the village. "So the Sharingan, eh?" He knew that it must have been hard for the non-Uchiha to even _wield_ the eye, but he didn't expect that the son of the genius Hatake Sakumo would stumble now, in this stage of his life. The brat had been a genius too, like Minato. Learning everything fast, and following closely his father's steps. The brat couldn't simply give up because of the Sharingan. If the Sharingan was what was causing the problem, he simply had to fix that problem. Jiraiya himself would bring that to a stop. With a little guidance, the brat would be back on his feet in no time. No matter how much Minato seemed convinced that the Hatake brat had in fact grown after that mission, Jiraiya believed he was a long ways off. Kakashi still couldn't bring himself back up from the tragedy nor from the fact that he needed to put more than just his best in order to gain true strength. He wouldn't let the brat give up that easily. There was just no way he would let that happen. After all, what were senseis' senseis for?

Jiraiya was planning on training Kakashi. He didn't want the brat to turn out like a certain friend of his. Nor like the countless geniuses that became too full of themselves. Those didn't last long. He knew it from experience. Orochimaru was a genius, and Jiraiya believed that there was this characteristic perteining of geniuses that made them conceited and either stopped their growth, or made them into crazy, sadistic bitches. It was very rare to find someone like Minato who would use his genius for good and be striving to do the best he could at all times. Kakashi, however, seemed closer to becoming a complete fool with no advancement, and that was no choice for a student of his best student, nor the son of the White Fang. Since Minato was busy now, and didn't have time to look after a broken Kakashi... Well, for everyone's sake, he himself would put an end to the brat's misery. He was sure that what Sakumo wanted was for his son to die like a shinobi, not like a man who knocked on Death's door himself. It was obvious that with no advancement, the kid would die soon, mistakenly overestimated by his superiors and with no true power nor skills. After smirking once again at his own metaphor, Jiraiya jumped off of the tree and walked towards the boy. He was going to use that line on one of his future books.

"Yo, Kakashi." Jiraiya lifted a hand as a greeting and his eyes looked fondly at the kid.

Kakashi turned around to the voice that called him, and realizing that it was the Sannin, he bowed, and mumbled a low "Jiraiya-sama...", a little surprised.

"Long time no see, eh?" As Jiraiya placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder, the jounin took his hand to his left eye and grunted in pain. "So, having a hard time with that little monster?"

"I can't... deactivate it." Kakashi felt safe talking about his current weakness with the old man. It seemed alright to show vulnerability. He was his sensei's sensei, after all. And he used to be a good friend of his father. The Sannin had been around for most of his childhood, coming by to his house to have tea with his father, later visiting him and his sensei from time to time, and eventually his genin team.

"Hmm." Jiraiya took his hand to his chin and looked at the boy, analysing the situation. A few seconds later he reached for the boy's hitai-ate, making Kakashi flinch, and pulled it down on the left side, tilting it and covering the Sharingan. "How's that?" Jiraiya asked, with that brilliant smile that the Yondaime had learned from him as a genin.

Kakashi felt his chakra going back to its normal routine, rather than focusing a large portion of it on the eye.

"You'll have to get used to seeing with one eye." Jiraiya crossed his arms and looked down at the boy who was taking a look at his right palm, and moving it sideways. _"So, trying to figure out the difference? Definitely a fast learner." _Jiraiya smirked and continued, "The Yondaime wants to see you. Let's go." Just for his own amusement's sake, he ruffled the silver hair, and transported back to the Hokage's office with Kakashi on his side.

Kakashi was not looking forward to seeing the Hokage. He was sure that whatever the Hokage wanted to talk about was going to put him in a tight situation. Either he was going to be punished for not following the Hokage's orders or the least he would get would be a lecture. Kakashi tended to hate those lectures, not because his sensei made him look like a kid, but because he would have rather preferred his sensei to look at him sternly and land whatever punishment he deemed adequate.

"Oi, Minato" Jiraiya greeted his former student and sat in a chair. Kakashi just stood still after bowing to the Hokage.

"Hey, sensei, Kakashi." Minato turned around from the window and sat on his chair as well. "Kakashi, haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?" Minato motioned for the jounin to take a seat next to Jiraiya, and Kakashi did as he was told. "How's your training coming along?" Minato asked as he put the papers in front of him in a neat pile to put them aside. It was time for _sensei_, not for _Hokage_.

Kakashi stared at him for a while because he knew that his sensei had known about him disregarding his latest mission. "Hokage-sama, I-" Kakashi started, but was stopped by Jiraiya's hand that reached his shoulder.

"This brat here, Minato, has been visiting the memorial site for the past few days, and didn't have time for training. Meaning, he didn't follow his sensei's orders, you, the _Hokage_." Jiraiya loved how Kakashi flinched at that last comment. So, the brat sensed trouble, eh? _'Damn right, brat. You _are_ in trouble. Heh.' _"So, my proposal is, that he gets some training from _me_." Jiraiya looked at Minato with that serious expression that he pulled off only once in a while. Kakashi looked at Jiraiya, and then back to the Hokage. What did he get himself into?

"Jiraiya-sensei, is that why you asked for the month off, this morning?" Minato couldn't help but show his relief to his sensei. Jiraiya was always there to help him.

"Hai, hai. Since you are too busy, I'll supervise him for a while." Jiraiya winked at Minato and smiled. Kakashi saw this exchange between the two and decided that it was his turn to talk.

"Hokage-sama, I just-" Kakashi tried to excuse himself from the lack of training and stop this nonsense. He had the Sharingan, and that impeded him from being himself. He would have never, _never _let himself to not train for this long if it hadn't been for the events in the past few months. Besides, he was a jounin, he didn't need anyone to train him. Even if that anyone was a Sannin.

"Covering the Sharingan seems like a good idea." Minato cut him off as he smiled gently_. "Well, this definitely is lifting a weight from my shoulders. What are senseis for, heh. To help their students when they can't put their own students back in line, of course."_ He would have done it himself if it wasn't for the fact that he had to look after an entire village. He _would_ get in trouble with the council if he disregarded his own duties and used that time instead to take care of his own student. Even if that student was to the point of breaking. There was nothing more boring than sitting through _hours_ of lecturing by the old Sarutobi and his advisors. He owed the Toad Sannin a _big_ one.

"Of course, it was _my_ idea, dear Hokage." Jiraiya pointed at his chest and lauged gallantly. Kakashi put his hand over the hitai-ate and tapped right above the Sharingan. It was itching.

"_Sensei_, I was _trying_ to say that I can't train with the Sharingan right now. Nothing is the same anymore. It will take me some time to get the hang of it. Besides, I can train on my _own_ now. I'm a _jounin_." Kakashi did his best to stop the word _"Remember?"_ from coming out. It would have been disrespectful to do so, but Kakashi made sure to emphasize the truth that his sensei seemed to have forgotten. Minato looked straight at his student and mentally chuckled. It had been a while since Kakashi had called him 'sensei'.

"From what I hear, brat, no one has seen you training for the past month. And don't give your missions as an excuse, because both your sensei and I know that you've been assigned to low-ranked missions." Jiraiya paused for effect, and waited for the words to sink in the prodigy's brain. Kakashi tightened his lips and prevented any words from coming out. He had nothing to say. He had acted like a kid, after all. "I'll be training you for the next month or so, whether you like it or not, brat." Jiraiya looked at the young jounin. Jiraiya couldn't quite make out the younger one's expression: was it anger or fear? For once, however, he looked like the thirteen-year old he was. The frowning of his single exposed eyebrow gave out too much when compared to his usual calm and composed form.

"Kakashi, it has been decided." Minato started. He took long breath to continue with what was to become a long lecture. "I know you are a jounin, I was the one who nominated you. Of course you can train on your own. But right now, you need someone to guide you. The Sharingan is not gonna be of any use if you hide it in order to save your chakra. The sooner you gain control, the better. Leaving it for later won't solve anything. You have to learn _how_ to use it. That's what Obito wanted you to do. And that's what I _want_ you to do. It's not an _order_, Kakashi." The young jounin looked up at him, and Minato could tell that Kakashi was feeling uneasy. Kakashi knew he had acted _so_ weak, _so_ unlike himself. "I want you to gain control of the Sharingan, and make it yours. Make it your power, and use it to your advantage. Make me proud, Kakashi. There's this quote that I heard somewhere," Minato glanced at Jiraiya before continuing, "'Geniuses never give up. And those who never give up _are_ geniuses'. Show the world that you are worthy of that title, Kakashi ." As Minato finished his lecture, Kakashi nodded. He was ready to face the challenge. The Sharingan wasn't going to stop him there. He had so many things to do. To become like his father, his sensei. There was no stopping now. He stood up.

Jiraiya had listened to his ever-sophisticated student giving the lecture. Definitely a good speaker. He remembered when he had used that line on him, a long time ago. "Geniuses never give up. And those who never give up _are_ geniuses." He would probably add it somewhere on the novel that he was working on at the moment. After making that mental note, he looked at the standing jounin.

"Okay, Kakashi. Your training starts tomorrow. Six o'clock, at the memorial site." Jiraiya clapped his hands once and stood up. "You don't _want_ to be late, boy." Jiraiya looked at him sternly, and Kakashi looked at him in surprise. Seeing that the Sannin wanted a response, Kakashi nodded. _"As if..." _Both Kakashi and Minato thought as they made eye contact one last time before the latter nodded in dismissal. There was no way Kakashi would be late to anything. He was just too well disciplined in that manner. Minato knew that as well. Kakashi bowed to both men, and walked towards the door.

Jiraiya turned to Minato and did a hand motion as if holding a small cup and tipping it into his mouth. Kakashi was still in the room, so he didn't want the kid to notice their next stop. Sake always tasted good after a long day. Minato chuckled and nodded in agreement. Sake always tasted better when talking about life. As soon as the kid went out the door and it was closed, the two men disappeared in a puff.

* * *

A/N: 

Hope you guys liked this chapter! Hey, if you have any suggestions as to what kind of interactions you want to see between these awesome three characters, let me know!

Jiraiya training Kakashi has been stuck in my mind for a long time, and I believe it could have been plausible. One thing that saddened me was the fact that in his last moments (in the manga) Jiraiya didn't say anything, _anything_ about Kakashi. I really hope that when Kakashi learns about Jiraiya's death, we get to see some flashback regarding some event between the three generations of senseis and students. If not... I will write something about Kakashi's reaction!

p.s.: For those who are wondering why Kakashi won't be late... I will add that later in the story. I doubt that Kakashi started acting like Obito right after he came back from that mission. He was just too well disciplined since a young age to lose that habit so soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Spoilers** in both the story and the A/N at the end.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

Minato and Jiraiya were now sitting by the banks of the river where both had learned to walk on water as genin. It was also where Kakashi had learned the trick. Probably where the kid would take his students when his time came as well. They picked up some sake on the way there, and now they were down to their second bottle.

"No need to thank me, Hokage, no need to." Jiraiya laughed as he patted his former student on the shoulder.

"Sensei, I'm never gonna get used to you calling me that." Minato said, as he scratched his head. "Last night I was actually thinking about doing it myself if he didn't come to his senses. I don't want Kakashi to stop here. The Sharingan... I personally believe that he'll be able to master it. No matter what those Uchihas say." Minato took another cup of sake. "I'm telling you, they are so arrogant! 'Hmph. As if a _Hatake_ could control the Sharingan.'" Minato copied one of the men who had mentioned Kakashi's lack of skills. Jiraiya smirked. "He should be able to. He's a genius, you see." Minato said as he opened another bottle of sake.

"Yeah, and he must. If he doesn't train with that eye, he'll eventually get killed. It's hard to lead this life with a single eye. Especially after having trained for these many years with both eyes. Losing depth perception can be a serious problem. He's just too used to the sight. In a sense, that eye is saving him." Jiraiya took a flat stone and threw it at the river, making it bounce several times before it sinked down.

"Nonetheless, it's breaking him." Minato added and took another cup of sake. "But that can be solved." He looked at his sensei and smiled. "I'll stop by some time. Don't push him too hard, sensei." Minato knew Jiraiya was a man with great expectations. That was one of the reasons why he was able to become Hokage. Meeting Jiraiya's standards were what made him strive even harder as a kid.

"Don't worry. It's not like he's gonna die. Come on, I'm trying to _save_ the kid, for god's sake." Jiraiya pointed at himself and exhibited that brilliant smile.

"Well, sensei, I trust you, so he's all yours." Minato grinned back.

"Heh." Jiraiya knew that Minato was still worried, but just the words made him proud. He had trained the young Hokage, after all. "How's it going with Kushina-chan?" Jiraiya asked as he took another drink.

"Perfect. It's just that I don't get to see her too often now." Minato responded sheepishly. "We are thinking of getting married by the end of this year."

"Ho, boy. That's some great news, ne?" Jiraiya couldn't believe that Minato was already at that stage in his life. _"Already old enough to get married..."_ Jiraiya chuckled as he took another drink. Over the years, he had come to think of him as his own kid. He was the one who gave the kid the strength and the one who taught him how to drink, how to flirt, and how to survive.

Minato looked on as he tried to figure out what Jiraiya was thinking about. His sensei was like a second father to him, as he had trained under him all those years, and still took his advice into heart. All the lessons he learned from the great Sannin were practically what made him into the person he was right now.

No wonder he was willing to help him out with Kakashi as well.

* * *

After making sure that a couple of ANBU escorted the Hokage to his house, Jiraiya headed towards Tsunade's house. He needed to ask for a favor. He was aware that it was past midnight, and that Tsunade would probably get mad, but it was for the good of his student's student. 

He knocked on the door and kept doing so for another two minutes before a furious Tsunade was looking up at him.

"Hey, I hope I didn't wake you up, Tsunade." Jiraiya put on his most innocent smile as he put up a shy hand as a greeting.

"And what makes you think that you didn't!" Tsunade blurted out as she tried to punch him in the face, but Jiraiya jumped a few feet away and kept smiling. Tsunade let out a sigh. "What is it?" She lowered her voice in consideration of her neighbors and went inside her house, and Jiraiya took this as a sign to come in.

"Well, I need to ask you to do something for me. Do you mind going to the training grounds with me?" Jiraiya asked as he followed her into her kitchen.

"Right now? What for?" Tsunade took a bottle of water from her fridge and a cup.

"I'll be training Kakashi starting tomorrow. If you could use your sheer force to break some boulders for me, dear Tsunade. And I'm setting up some stuff, too." Jiraiya was leaning against the counter and smiled.

"Training for the Sharingan?" Tsunade poured the water and looked at her old teammate. She had inspected Rin's work when they came back from the mission. She tried to fix it so that the boy could deactivate it, but nothing had worked.

"Yeah. But training his normal eye is first. Hopefully the dodging exercise will be enough. He has a lot to work on." Jiraiya grinned.

"Lack of depth perception, ne?" She drank down the cup full of water. "I'm coming. Just wait a sec." She added before going to her room to get dressed. Sakumo's son had always been a genius. She knew that all along. But even geniuses needed help from time to time.

Jiraiya smiled gently and when Tsunade came out, they headed towards the memorial stone, where he would be meeting the brat in the morning.

* * *

Once at his small apartment, Kakashi decided to gather his equipment for the training. Seriously, what did he get himself into? Training with Jiraiya? He surely was signed up for some challenge. He had some memories about Jiraiya that he didn't really enjoy thinking about. Kakashi sighed as he took his hitai-ate off. He carefully left his Sharingan closed and looked at himself in the mirror. He would have to get used to seeing with one eye, but also train the Sharingan. "Obito..." He closed his right eye as well and relived those moments once again. That second in which he lost his own left eye, and how Obito killed the enemy shinobi. His scar hurt whenever he thought about that blow that took his eye. 

It was already late, so he decided to take at least a few hours' sleep before meeting with Jiraiya. He didn't know what to expect from the old man, but nothing was going to be easy in his current state. For the past month, ever since his sensei became Hokage, all he did were missions. Just like Jiraiya had mentioned earlier. The time that he could have spent training, he visited Obito at the memorial site, or his old house, where he used to live as a kid. He did not train at all. His body sure got weaker from his lack of exercise. Thinking of the price he would have to pay the next day, Kakashi fell asleep.

* * *

It was ten to six o'clock, and Kakashi was walking down the path that led to the memorial stone. He was wearing the standard jounin outfit along with the green vest. Ever since his father's tanto had broken in that mission, he had decided that he didn't need to wear the tanto holder anymore. That was three months ago, already. His hitai-ate was slanted once again, in order to save his chakra for the training. He knew he looked ridiculous, but it had worked. 

As Kakashi passed through the countless trees, he spotted an obvious trap: there was a rope that would surely capture inexperienced shinobis and hold them down a tree's branch by their feet. Kakashi wasn't one, so he was able to avoid it. What he didn't see was a second rope a few feet away. This time, to avoid it, he had to jump a few feet back. Who had set these traps? As he landed on his right foot, Kakashi realized that there was _another_ trap, so this time he used the Kawarimi no Jutsu and substituted his body with a log and reappeared a few feet closer to the second trap. He was hating this. Who would go through the trouble of setting these simple traps in such a canning way? His only guess was that the academy kids had been practicing setting the trap. Kakashi grunted and decided to be more careful. It would be more than shameful to fall in one of those and be late to training.

As he got closer to the memorial site, Kakashi had to dodge another set of traps, and from the last place he managed to land, he gathered more chakra in his feet and jumped farther than before to skip all the possible traps and to land in the clearing. As he did so, several kunais came flying directly to his face and upper body, which he received with one of his kunai. He didn't get to see one of the last kunai that came from his blind spot and it left a gash on his left forearm. As he received all the kunais, he didn't have the time to look at where he was landing: another trap. _"Shit." _Kakashi grunted as the rope tightened around his ankles and brought him upside down, hanging down from a particularly high branch. As he went up he saw the old man's long, white hair sticking out from behind another tree, a few feet away from his tree.

"So it was you, Jiraiya-sama." Kakashi couldn't hide his shame nor his anger. He shouldn't have been caught by such a simplistic trap. What was the old man up to?

"Yes, Kakashi. You did pretty well reading underneath the underneath, but you still need more practice." Jiraiya had been watching the kid avoiding and jumping through all those traps, and had thrown the kunais when he seemed to reach his goal. That had been pretty good for a kid who was receiving attacks with one eye. "No need to come down, yet, Kakashi. Get warmed up." Jiraiya ordered as he saw the brat taking out a kunai. Jiraiya sat down under the tree where Kakashi was hanging down from.

"How many do you want?" Kakashi asked with gritted teeth. He didn't feel like doing sit-ups this early in the morning. At least not when tied down from a tree's branch. He put his kunai back in his holster.

"A thousand." Jiraiya did his best not to smirk at the probably terrified expression of the little jounin. Not many people could actually do that many. That would take the kid a good hour to two. Meanwhile, he would work on his novel.

Kakashi started on the exercise that was assigned to him. As he counted off, he realized once again that he shouldn't have stopped training. He was dearly paying the price. It was crucial for shinobis to train every day, but he had skipped training for a _month_. Though Kakashi was sure that a thousand of these was a large number for _any_ shinobi (even _Jiraiya_), he realized that he was really out of shape when he started to pant lightly, only after three-hundred of those. After taking a deep breath, he decided to slow down before he completely ran out of chakra. He was sure that the day had just begun.

Jiraiya couldn't help but smirk as the kid's voice that called out the numbers got quieter and sounded less and less energetic. _"Already tired?" _Boy, the brat _was_ out of shape. "Oi, Kakashi. I didn't hear you after four-hundred-seventy-two. Start over from there." Jiraiya heard the young jounin sigh, and his voice got louder once again with number six-hundred-twenty-three. He had heard the kid when he said six-hundred, but he decided to punish him for letting himself get out of shape this much. _"That will teach him." _Jiraiya thought as he scribbled another note. Jiraiya began to think that it was too much fun to be teaching his student's student. There was no way that the brat would talk back or question his authority. If it had been the younger Kakashi, the one he used to train from time to time when he was a genin and eventually chuunin, it would have been different. The brat now was conscious of the age gap between them that was just too big. It simply meant that he _had_ grown up a little and gained more respect for the Sannin. _"Heh. Don't resent me, Sakumo." _

Kakashi was reminded once again that Jiraiya was much nicer when not training him. The man ruffling his hair (no matter how much Kakashi hated it) was so much more comforting than this old man who practiced his authority over him. It would have been wrong for him to complain when Jiraiya assigned him an extra hundred or so, since he _did_ let his body get out of shape. But oh, how he hated it. Kakashi respected the man. He was his sensei's sensei, after all. And, not only was he one of the Sannin but also someone his father (who Kakashi respected as a kid, and recently regained that respect for him) had called a friend and a man to trust. But, this man now sitting down under the shadows of the tree was having fun by torturing him. Just like he used to in the old days, when he was younger. Kakashi grunted once again when he saw Jiraiya's thousandth smirk. His side was starting to throb with pain, as if someone kept stabbing him with a blade. He still had another two hundred to go.

* * *

A/N: 

Thanks to all the reviewers! It's really nice to know that I'm not the only one loving the relationships between senseis and students in the series.

Firstly, the idea of the traps. Yes, I thought I would upgrade it for someone as skilled as Kakashi! He_ is_ a jounin, after all. Hope it came out as good, and that it was clear. Let me know if something wasn't as clear!

One reason why I wrote how Kakashi struggles under Jiraiya's training is because I want to portray him as a character who works hard as well. Not just a genius. I saw some fics out there that describe the rivalry between Kakashi and Gai as something based on genius vs. hard worker. Just a thought, but I believe that Gai wouldn't have recognized Kakashi as his rival if he was just a pure genius. Which gives me just another idea for this story... mmm... this will have to wait though. In future chapters!

I tried to portray Jiraiya in character. He may appear as someone who fools around (with research and what not), but he knows when he needs to act like the adult he is. That's one of his characteristics that intrigue me so much. Knowing when is enough and being able to cover his flaws with charisma, maturity, and kindness. So when it came to the concept of him training Kakashi, Jiraiya becomes the strict and harsh instructor, showing his fondness for Kakashi inwardly, in his thoughts. At least that's what I got out of the characterization in the series. Someone very affectionate and caring of others. Oh, and of course, I had to mentions Kakashi's respect for the old man. (smile)

Next chapter will be a flashback. Sakumo's in it, so you can look forward to it! It will explain why Kakashi dreads the idea of being trained by Jiraiya, _again _(key word!).


	4. Chapter 4

**Spoilers**.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**_Flashback_**

In the past, when Kakashi was the Yellow Flash's only student, Jiraiya had come along in their training sessions, and had ever so kindly pointed out Kakashi's flaws. Incessantly. All of them. That was back when Sakumo was still alive, and Kakashi was always striving to earn another compliment from him. He had been the best student all his life. Jiraiya's hurtful comments had indeed hurt the young prodigy's pride and lowered his self-esteem.

The Yellow Flash looked in amusement whenever Kakashi turned around from him to glare at the old man. Sometimes, Kakashi would dare to ask, "Don't you have anything better to do?" or "Can you leave now?", and Jiraiya would jump off the branch and land a blow on the genin's head for being disrespectul.

"Jiraiya_-sama_ to you, brat! Just wait until I tell Sakumo about your manners, boy!" And Jiraiya would huff in indignation.

That, a simple comment like that, was enough to make the genin turn back around to his sensei and focus on his training. Kakashi had never been reprimanded on his manners and he wasn't sure how his father would react, but he didn't want to test it out either. He just thought that it was cowardly of Jiraiya to bring his father into _their _argument. It wasn't fair. As Kakashi worked out the pattern of the exercise ignoring the now closer-standing man, Minato and Jiraiya would exchange looks and smile fondly.

There was this one time when Kakashi went over the line and had to pay back in a very painful way. It was another afternoon training session just days after one of those encounters. During the training, Minato was called to the Hokage's office, and Jiraiya was there just on time to look after the genin.

Jiraiya complained about how he was too old to be looking after stupid unskilled genin, and this earned another glare from the boy. After Jiraiya shrugged it off, Kakashi went back to practicing the new, more complex way to throw a kunai that his sensei had taught him. Jiraiya picked up a twig from a nearby tree and walked towards the boy. He could see that the short arms and legs were giving the kid a difficult time. He called out Kakashi's flaws as he poked him with the twig on the parts of his body where he needed to flex more, stretch more, and such. Kakashi didn't like the fact that he was being poked and that they actually hurt, but he was in a position where he was learning, so he kept quiet.

As the insults (or "corrections" as his sensei reminded him many times) got beyond bearable (_"Boy, and you call yourself the son of the White Fang?") _in his own standards, Kakashi threw a kunai at Jiraiya. They were only two feet apart, and Jiraiya was unable to completely dodge it. The kunai left a big gash on his left forearm, and that was all Jiraiya needed to snap. He had never been good with patience, anyway. Heh, who said patience is a virtue?

He appeared behind the little boy and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and teleported to the nearest cliff he knew about. Kakashi had tried to kick and punch him, but he was just too small to reach him. Jiraiya took a while debating whether it was smart to throw the son of the White Fang of Konoha down a cliff.

Seeing the Sannin's opening, Kakashi took a couple of shuriken from his holster, and from his position in the air, he threw them directly at Jiraiya's face, who ducked his head as he dropped the kid. Jiraiya felt the usual weight from his head disappearing, and realized that those shurikens actually had dared to cut a big chunk of his hair.

Oh, was the boy in trouble. Kakashi realizing what he had done took out another kunai from his holster in defense. It was just some hair. Surely his father's friend was discreet enough to not kill him? As Jiraiya saw the hairs sprawled under him, he decided that whatever Sakumo did to him would not be a problem.

"Alright, Kakashi. Training's just starting for you, but ending for me." Jiraiya appeared behind Kakashi once again and grabbed him by his wrists, holding him in the air and slowly walked to the cliff. "Brat, don't blame me. You asked for this training. Come up in any way you can. I chose a pretty small cliff so that you don't spend the whole day. Don't worry about your father. I'll personally tell him that you are training on your own. And the reason why. Bye."

The last thing Kakashi saw before being dropped was Jiraiya's smirk along with a hand wave. Kakashi grunted and began gathering chakra in his hands and feet. Jiraiya, seeing what the boy was trying to do, couldn't help but smirk again and praise him inwardly. He was indeed the White Fang's son. But that wouldn't be enough to save him from this one.

Kakashi decided that there was no way he would be able to grab on to the cliff with his current level of chakra control. So his option was to slow down his fall by placing his hands on the rough surface, even if it meant getting them all scraped. He concluded that it was still better than injuring both his legs from falling straight down. Cursing the old man once again, Kakashi gathered more chakra in his hands and placed both onto the cliff, slowing down his fall and sliding down rather than falling straight to the ground.

When Jiraiya saw the kid's ability to think and decide quickly in such a situation, he couldn't help but chuckle and give the kid credit for being a prodigy after all. He turned around to head to the Hatakes' house, and began to formulate a story that he could tell the boy's father and get away with the least bruises. Sakumo tended to be strict on his son, but when it came to someone else disciplining his own son, he turned into the most overprotective man in Konoha. Oh, and then he had to worry about his idiot student. He would be all over him if he heard what he had done to the young prodigy. _'Hn. Kids these days.'_

Kakashi had landed safely (or without breaking anything, at least) and was now wincing as he looked down at his bloody hands. And he was supposed to climb up with them. He looked up and grunted once again at the thought. It was getting dark, and he really didn't want to stay out too long. He tried gathering chakra in his right hand, but it burned so much he actually let out a cry of pain. Taking deep breaths, Kakashi pondered on his options. He could climb up with his chakra and let his hands burn, or he could use just his bare power and further injure his hands. Neither sounded very comforting, but Kakashi decided to save his chakra. Even if he reached the top, he would have to get home on his own, so wasting too much chakra could result catastrophic. Slowly, Kakashi grabbed on to the smaller rocks and made sure to keep the flow of his chakra constant in his feet. As he climbed up, Kakashi thought about how he didn't ever want Jiraiya to train him again.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was already at the White Fang's house, having tea. Jiraiya told him about the incident and had a little sparring time (it was Sakumo's way of showing his frustration to a friend), but that was it. Sakumo couldn't believe that Jiraiya actually threw his son down a cliff, a five-year-old, and was furious. Furious at Jiraiya for landing a punishment that not even he dared to give the kid, and furious at himself for letting Kakashi grow up to be a brat. Sakumo apologized afterwards, and offered tea. He also told him that he would make sure to talk to Kakashi about being disrespectful to his father's friend. There was no way he would let the people in town think that the son of the White Fang had bad manners.

Minato arrived while they were playing a game of shougi, asking for Kakashi. The two of them were to go on a mission the next day, so he wanted to talk about it, and he also wanted to see how the training had gone with Jiraiya. He was surprised to see his sensei having tea while Kakashi was out of sight. He learned about what happened, and charged straight at his sensei.

Jiraiya blocked the punches that his student landed on him, and smiled sheepishly. "Don't worry, Minato. He should be back soon." Minato blurted out words such as "insane" and "so mean", and crossed his arms. The two men had to chuckle at the younger jounin's childish pout.

Sakumo offered tea to the newcomer, and the three men started talking about politics and missions. They talked for a while before they heard a rather loud thump from the main entrance. Minato got up and opened the door to see his student laying face down in the ground. Minato reached the boy and held him up in his arms. Kakashi's hands were red with dried blood, and still had some smearing through his torn gloves. Minato winced at the thought of the pain that they boy went through and took him inside, to his sensei.

When he got to the living room, where the other two were, he started tapping his right foot menacingly, and Jiraiya let out a shy laugh at the sight. He got up from his sitting position and walked towards the kid who passed out from exhaustion. Sakumo silently moved towards the cabinet where they stored their first-aid equipment and took out the ointment that Tsunade had given him and a few bandages. Kakashi would probably be unable to use his hands for at least two days, unless they took him to Tsunade. Jiraiya fondly ruffled the boy's hair.

"He made it at least two hours earlier than I thought." Jiraiya was glad that the boy had made it, but that still didn't make up for his feeling of guilt. "I'm sorry, Sakumo." Jiraiya turned to Sakumo, who shook his head and held up the bandages.

"Better take him to his room to treat his wounds." And with that, Sakumo led Jiraiya to the kid's room. Sakumo couldn't help but be proud of his son. Jiraiya had added to his son's endurance. Wounds could be healed, but lessons had to be learned one way or the other. After smiling fondly at his sensei, Minato followed them.

"It looks like he won't be able to go on tomorrow's mission. I'll have to ask Hokage-sama to assign it to another team." Minato crossed his arms and looked at the carefree look on Kakashi's face. He was fast asleep, and didn't even wince as Sakumo applied the ointment on his hands.

"I can't believe how much he has grown. It was like yesterday that he graduated from the academy." Sakumo smiled proudly as he saw and felt his son's callused small hands.

"Definitely, Sakumo-san. Kakashi is no longer a newbie. He'll be taking the next Chuunin exam, which is in six months." Minato proudly announced his student's progress.

Both adults looked at the younger jounin in surprise, and Sakumo smiled proudly once again as took the bandages from the side table.

"Sometimes, I think I introduced Kakashi into our world too soon." Sakumo held one of Kakashi's hands in his own and bandaged it carefully.

"Well, Sakumo, you think right. You taught him tricks since he was three. Three is an age to be doing potty training. Not shinobi training." Jiraiya crossed his arms and looked fondly at the boy who had proved himself once again. "But, now that he is _in_, you might as well teach him how to _survive_."

"Yes, I know what your intentions were, Jiraiya. Of course you woudn't have thrown my son down the cliff just because he gave you a small cut in your arm and cut your hair." Sakumo secured the bandage and moved to the other hand. Jiraiya sweatdropped. After all, those _had _been the reasons. But he wouldn't ruin the moment by confessing now.

"Of course!" Jiraiya nodded with his eyes closed, trying to look wise and serious.

"Well, I better get going now. I have to go talk to Hokage-sama. Please let Kakashi know that he has the day off tomorrow, Sakumo-san." Minato grinned and nodded curtly to both men before using his signature jutsu.

"Hn. That boy." Jiraiya smiled proudly. He looked back at Kakashi and put a hand over Sakumo's shoulder. "Take him to Tsunade in the morning. She will have him fixed in a blink of an eye."

Sakumo secured the bandage and stood up. "I would, but I have a mission in the morning. Do you mind, Jiraiya?" Sakumo put a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder and looked at him threateningly. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "After all, you are the reason he is hurt." Now Sakumo was grinning and this made Jiraiya resign. Sakumo signaled towards the door, suggesting they let Kakashi rest. Jiraiya followed him.

"Okay, okay. When are you leaving?" Jiraiya scratched his chin.

"At six."

"Alright, see ya in the morning then. I'll be here ten to six." Jiraiya saluted jokingly with two fingers and headed outside.

"Souds good. Thanks." Sakumo closed the door behind him after Jiraiya was out of sight, and sighed. It was at times like this that he wished his wife was still alive. Kakashi was forced to grow up fast because he didn't have a mother who could look after him. Though the fact that his son took after so many of his characteristics made him proud, he was still worried for a possible time when his son might not come back from a mission. Or even worse, for a time when _he_ might not come back home. After sighing once again he went to his room to get his equipment ready for the morning. He had an S-class mission to worry about.

The next morning, Jiraiya had come by, as promised. Jiraiya waited until the boy woke up on his own at seven o'clock and told him to get ready to pay a visit to Tsunade. Kakashi did as he was told, seeing that his father had probably left him in Jiraiya's hands for the day.

Once at the hospital, they went straight to Tsunade's office, earning Jiraiya a disapproving look from his former teammate for entering without knocking.

"Seriously, Jiraiya. I have to attend to other patients. I don't have time to be talking with you." Tsunade gave him a bored look as she yawned.

"Oh, it won't take long. Besides, it's not for me. It's for this brat." Jiraiya grinned and placed a hand over Kakashi's head. Tsunade lowered her sight to the kid who had crossed his arms and was looking out the window. He was indeed a miniature White Fang. She had seen him a few times before, at the Hokage's office. She had been surprised that the genius White Fang's son was another genius.

"Isn't that Sakumo's brat? Oi, brat! Don't you know how to greet your elders?" She smirked. Surprised by the tone of the medic-nin, Kakashi turned from his view of the village and bowed his head. _'What's with all these people calling me a brat? I'm a genin!' _Kakashithought as he scratched his right palm. He hated bandages. "Hn. What's up with the bandages in his hands?" Tsunade asked as she noticed how the boy's jaw tensed when he scratched his palm.

"Got hurt while training with me." Jiraiya led Kakashi to a chair, and Tsunade walked towards them.

"Hn. I thought his sensei was Minato?" Tsunade asked mockingly. She smiled and carefully removed the bandages to take a look at the damage.

"Yes, of course he is. I just look after him sometimes. And Sakumo went on a mission today, so I'm doing him a favor by bringing him to you." Now Jiraiya crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Oh, good. He used my ointment." Tsunade saw the effects that her ointment had on the scraped hands and was glad to see that it worked so well. She gathered chakra and slowly started to restore the surface of the kid's skin. "What were you doing?" Kakashi looked at her and then turned his head to Jiraiya. Jiraiya was scratching his head, which meant he didn't want Tsunade to know. As young as Kakashi might have been, he knew what certain actions showed about people's feelings.

"Nothing much. I just fell really bad." Kakashi lied. Well, it did hold some truth. He practically fell down the cliff. He wouldn't have minded to put Jiraiya in trouble, but he didn't want to be treated like a kid who couldn't even manage a training exercise. Jiraiya let out a sigh. The brat had just saved him from what could have been a long argument with the Princess. She probably would have started with the fact that Kakashi was only a genin and didn't _need_ that kind of training yet.

"Well, brat. You better watch it next time." Tsunade gave him a warning look and pinched his cheeks much to Kakashi's annoyance.

As Kakashi rubbed his now sore cheeks, Jiraiya exchanged a few words with Tsunade and led the kid outside.

That was the first time that Jiraiya had trained Kakashi one-on-one. When Team Minato was first formed, Jiraiya came by sometimes to supervise the three kids in their sensei's place because of confidential missions and such. He was pretty nice about it and had treated them to dinner after missions and training.

Kakashi only started calling him _'Jiraiya-sama' _after his father had passed away. Jiraiya guessed it had something to do with maturing and feeling the need to stick to the rules, since he _was_ his superior. Whenever he witnessed the boy snapping to his teammates and sensei commenting on something about the rules, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel nostalgic. The kid was still too young to understand the shinobi life. Sakumo was the boy's goal for the past years, but that admiration and trust had all been shattered with _seppuku_.

**_Flashback Ends_**

* * *

Neither Kakashi nor Jiraiya thought that the other one was able to remember Kakashi's first trip down the cliff. The thing was, both were thinking about the exact same thing: while one was dreading it, the other one was smiling about it.

Jiraiya smirked as he remembered the younger Kakashi. That infiltration mission had surely changed the boy. _'I bet you are proud of him, Sakumo. He finally understands your reasons.'_

_

* * *

_A/N:

Thanks reviewers!

This chapter was longer than I wanted it to be. Wasn't really planning on writing about the visit to Tsunade, but I thought the Kakashi-Tsunade interaction was really cute. I know I didn't put a lot about Sakumo into this. Hope I didn't disappoint you. ::sigh:: Keeping everyone in character (especially Sakumo and pre-seppuku Kakashi!) is indeed difficult. As for Sakumo, I just thought he would be the strict-fond father type, like Nara Shikaku.

Next, more training for Kakashi!


	5. Chapter 5

**Spoilers**.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

"Come down if you are done, Kakashi." Jiraiya looked up and saw that the jounin was sighing and recovering from the fatigue. After hearing the commanding tone of the old man's voice Kakashi took out a kunai from his holster in order to cut the rope. He cut it in between his feet to be able to land freely on the ground below him. Jiraiya stood up and held up a small rock. There was no time to lose.

"You see this? It's your next exercise." Jiraiya said as he passed the small rock to Kakashi. As the jounin looked at him in confusion, Jiraiya signaled him to follow and led him to the place where he had left all the rocks that Tsunade helped him with.

"Alright. I'll be throwing these rocks at you, and your goal is to dodge them. No Sharingan this time. We'll train your lack of depth perception first. When in battle, you'll resort to the Sharingan only when it's absolutely necessary. Understood?" Jiraiya was playing with one of the rocks by throwing it in the air and catching it. Kakashi nodded.

"Ok, brat. You can't get past this tree and that tree. You may use a kunai." Jiraiya gave Kakashi about ten feet to move around.

He walked away fifteen feet from the jounin and grabbed a stone from the pile. He waited for the jounin to get ready, and when Kakashi nodded, he aimed to the boy's covered left eye and threw it.

Kakashi knew the Sannin would begin with that, trying to pinpoint his weakness, so he just moved a little to his right. Just as he was about to let himself smirk, he heard a 'thunk!' and turned around to see how that small rock had perforated a tree. Kakashi turned back to face Jiraiya and narrowed his single eye. _'How much chakra did he put into that? Fuck.' _This was serious business. He was either to dodge the rock or to experience extreme pain.

"Oh, come on, brat. Don't tell me you didn't expect_ that_." Jiraiya smirked. _'Those who smirk last smirk best. Heh.' _He threw another rock, and Kakashi sliced it in two with his kunai. "Alright, no more breaks between throws. Let's begin." Jiraiya grabbed a bunch of rocks with his left hand, and started throwing them one after the other with his right; less powerful than the first two throws, but with greater intensity.

Kakashi was having a hard time with escaping from the 'deadly weapons'. They may have been harmless little rocks, but when they found their way to the hands of one of the greatest shinobi in the world, they became lethal. "An expert with a stone can still beat a novice with a shuriken." Not that Kakashi was a novice. Jiraiya was just too experienced. After a while, Jiraiya had started throwing the rocks like real weapons, not just one by one, but by a couple at a time.

As the next rocks came flying, Kakashi crouched down, and he was immediately forced to get on all fours because of the next attack. Consecutively, he jumped high by gathering chakra on both his feet and hands to dodge the rocks that approached from the ground. Jiraiya smirked. The jounin was now in the air, and he was certain that Kakashi was close to getting hit. He threw another couple of rocks, and Kakashi kicked off of the tree to his left, and blocked three rocks with his kunai.

"You aren't moving your head around enough! You are just relying on your old habits, brat!" Jiraiya saw the grimace in the younger nin's face and slowed down his attacks. It was about time.

Kakashi, who was still in the air, realized that something was wrong. The Sannin had slowed down when he could have easily knocked him out while he was in the air. He turned his head around to the right. Naturally, he wasn't able to see the rocks that hit him on his left shoulder. The attack made him flip vertically once and he saw through squinted eyes another Jiraiya next to another pile of rocks smirking at him._ 'Kage Bunshin?!' _He wasn't able to control his fall and fell hard on his back with a loud thump. The thought of him underestimating the intensity of the training and the pain that followed his fall made him grunt. Not to say that he was probably bleeding where the rocks had hit him. It had been only five minutes since the exercise had started and he was already on the ground. _'It seems like today will be a long day.'_He sighed and sat down, looking at Jiraiya with resentful eyes.

"You have to be more attentive, Kakashi! If the enemy had decided to do what I just did, you would be _dead_." Though he was reprimanding the jounin, Jiraiya grinned to himself as he thought, _'Hn. But then again, most shinobi aren't as good as the stealthiest of the Legendary Sannin. He noticed pretty fast.' _"Get up, now it will be a two-way thing. I'm warning you, brat, we just got started." With that, Jiraiya started attacking again, without waiting for the jounin to get back on his feet.

As Kakashi jumped from his sitting position once again to dodge the rocks, he took another kunai from his holster. He was holding a kunai in each hand. Now he had to block the attacks from the Kage Bunshin as well. As he blocked the rocks, he climbed up the tree and stood over a branch, measuring the distances from both Jiraiyas.

He took a moment to come up with a plan. From where he was standing, it seemed like the real Jiraiya was actually closer to him than the Kage Bunshin. There was no way he would be able to dodge both attacks. He had to dodge one set and block the other. He sighed. He was going to block the rocks from Jiraiya and dodge the ones from the Kage Bunshin.

To Jiraiya, everything consisted of a test. Jiraiya had purposefully sent his Kage Bunshin farther from the kid to see what kind of strategy the boy came up with. He was a jounin, so he would surely apply his experience and knowledge to a situation like this. And to his delight, the boy did have a plan. _'Block one, dodge one, ne? Not bad.' _But Jiraiya was no push-over and he wasn't about to let the kid get away without a few bruises here and there. When the time came, he would make it harder for him by throwing with _both_ hands. _'Hn.'_

The exercise only came to an end when Jiraiya ran out of rocks. It was past lunch time. Kakashi sat down leaning against a tree, sweating and trying to _breath_through his mask. Jiraiya smirked and walked towards the jounin while taking out a few bandages from his pouch.

"Looks like you still need more time at this." Jiraiya dropped the bandages next to Kakashi's knee and sat down as well. "But you get a passing grade for now. We'll keep doing this exercise for at least another week." He grinned. "Get those wounds covered, we still have half a day to go." Kakashi grunted and as Jiraiya was about to shove the boy's head for being disrespectful, Kakashi looked to the east to see an approaching figure. Jiraiya also sensed the presence and looked on with expecting eyes. It was probably his student.

"Oi, Hokage! I thought you had a lunch meeting today." Jiraiya leaned to the tree and crossed his arms. Kakashi just bowed his head and took off his vest to cover some of the wounds he got under his clothes as well.

"Yes, I already did, sensei. It's well past lunch time. I'm taking a well-deserved break." Minato grinned as he showed his sensei the two bento boxes he brought for them. Obviously, he had been right to think that the two hadn't even had lunch yet.

"Oh, that's great!" Jiraiya shouted out.

"That I'm on a break, or that I brought you lunch, sensei?" Minato joked as he sat down in front of the two.

"The latter, of course, Hokage." Jiraiya took both bento boxes from his former student and opened them. "Kakashi, you better hurry if you want something in your system before resuming your training." As he said this, Jiraiya was already taking his first bite. Minato smiled.

Kakashi shook his head as he secured a bandage on his left arm. Minato looked on as his student covered his wounds and thought about how this training was only going to make the boy stronger.

"So, Kakashi." Minato placed a hand on Kakashi's right shoulder and continued. "No pressure, but I expect to see immediate results." He grinned, and Kakashi was once again (for the millionth time since he met his sensei) wondering what his sensei was really thinking.

"Sensei, even if Jiraiya-sama here left me some food, I doubt I could eat with so much pressure. I'm gonna puke." Kakashi made eye contact with both of them and lowered his sight to a wound on his forearm. Jiraiya and Minato exchanged looks and smiled. It was rare for the boy to give a sarcastic comment to his _superiors_, but that was his way of defending himself when he was reprimanded. Not that Minato was reprimanding him, but if Kakashi took Minato's comment in that sense, that was fine with the two older men. Immediate results, indeed. Kakashi was back in track, it seemed.

"Oh, trust me, brat. You _will _puke by the end of the day. We're sparring after lunch." Jiraiya looked at Kakashi sternly, and the jounin looked at his superiors with disblieving eyes before giving up on the hopes of having a good night's sleep.

Kakashi hurried to bandage his wounds before Jiraiya could finish _his_ lunch as well. He wasn't going to let the old man beat the crap out of him _and_starve him on their first day of training. That would have been unfair. Kakashi grimaced when he thought about the possibility of that happening in future training sessions. He was lucky that the Hokage himself brought them lunch today. While eating, Kakashi had to hear the detailed descriptions of the training as Jiraiya told his sensei about his flaws. It was embarrassing, but Kakashi assumed that that was what Jiraiya wanted to do. Provoke him in order to achieve greater results.

By the time they started sparring, Minato had to leave to resume his duties as the Hokage. Jiraiya made it clear that he wanted to start lightly with just taijutsu. No genjutsu nor ninjutsu. It would have been dangerous to include any of those when it was obvious that the young jounin was still not used to seeing with one eye. They sparred for the first thirty minutes and took a five minute break. Kakashi was already tired from the overexertion earlier in the day, and was now facing a sparring session where he had no chance of landing a single blow on his supposed "sensei".

As Jiraiya stood up, Kakashi followed and put up his mask, which he had taken off to get some fresh air. Jiraiya mostly defended himself for the first part, letting Kakashi attack him from every possible angle. But now, it was time for a real sparring. Kakashi also knew that Jiraiya was not simply going to deflect his attacks and just wait for the next attack anymore.

Kakashi first decided to close in on their distance by throwing a few kunai and sprinting towards the Sannin. As he took out some kunais as well, Jiraiya jumped to his left and saw Kakashi coming towards him. In a split second, he decided that if Kakashi wasn't capable of dodging his kunais from that distance he was probably just not fated to become a great shinobi. He threw them at Kakashi's chest, and to his satisfaction, Kakashi jumped, doing a front flip and coming down right on Jiraiya's face with a powerful kick. The only problem was that his lack of depth perception made his aim a little off center and he actually was aiming at Jiraiya's shoulder. Jiraiya smirked and just turned a tad bit, letting Kakashi pass by him. Cursing inwardly, Kakashi stepped on the grass with his right leg and jumped once again, doing another front flip and twisting his body in order to land facing Jiraiya. He wasn't about to just get caught from behind.

As if reading his mind, Jiraiya was already in the ready position to attack him as soon as he landed. Jiraiya appeared in front of him and aimed to kick him right on his face. Kakashi, who didn't see this coming, was barely able to block with both his arms crossed. This sent him flying a good few feet, but he was able to land on both his hands and get back up instantly. Jiraiya came to him and started throwing strong punches that he was barely able to block. He was pushed back to a tree and found himself to the point of feeling his bones shaking from the impacts that the punches made.

"Don't tell me this is all you've got, Kakashi!" Jiraiya mocked, as he hit the tree behind Kakashi as the jounin dodged his punch. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kakashi rolled away from the Sannin and instantly regained his posture to attack. He had blocked Jiraiya with his forearms, where he got the gash from the rocks earlier. The wounds reopened and he could feel the warm blood smearing through the bandages. Jiraiya turned towards him and stood there, expectantly. Kakashi was trying to find some opening, somewhere he could start on to make his next moves successful to a certain degree, but there was none. It was no wonder why he was called one of the Legendary Sannin. Kakashi came to the conclusion that there was no point in trying his hardest to find an opening. He just had to adapt as their sparring folded out. He ran towards Jiraiya and started attacking with more intensity that he had during theirs first sparring.

As he launched attack after attack, Kakashi finally found an opening in the Sannin. He saw that Jiraiya was letting his guard down on his head, and Kakashi assumed that it was because Jiraiya believed he wouldn't be able to attack somewhere way above his own height. How wrong the old man was.

"Seems like you _did_learn something after these many years, brat!" Jiraiya pointed out as he stopped Kakashi's kick to his left side with his forearm. Kakashi made two additional kicks with his right leg that were also easily blocked by Jiraiya.

Kakashi humphed as he turned on his standing left leg and tried to hit Jiraiya's chest with his right elbow. Jiraiya easily stopped the blow with one hand and used the other one to grab Kakashi's fist. He turned his grip, twisting the jounin's arm and pushing it against the boy's back with force, and knocking him down with a light kick to the legs. Kakashi was now laying face down on the ground with a tensed jaw. He almost let out a yelp of pain, but he stopped and instead grabbed on to the grass below his intact left hand.

"Ne, Kakashi. You don't _ever_want to elbow someone who is obviously stronger and more experienced than you. Too many openings, boy." Jiraiya let go of his grip and stepped away from Kakashi to give him some space to get up. Kakashi felt the blood rushing to his ears, and stayed still for a while, until Jiraiya ordered him to get up. "But you did well in trying to hit my head. Though I'm sure you already know that you will never succeed like that." Jiraiya gave him a stern look, turned from the jounin and walked to the shadows of a nearby tree to take a break.

Kakashi also took a seat where he had just been laying down and lifted his hitai-ate. The itching had been bothering him all along. He started to think over their recent match and figure out what he had done wrong. After a while, Kakashi went to Jiraiya to suggest something.

"Jiraiya-sama, I would like to work on my aim." Kakashi stood and looked at Jiraiya with both his eyes.

"Hn. You sure? If you overuse the Sharingan now you'll end up in bed for another week. Don't you remember when you first got back from that mission?" Jiraiya put his notes aside and looked up. Kakashi flinched at the mentioning of _the_ mission, but he made no comment.

"I believe that now that I know what effect the Sharingan has on me, I can avoid that from happening. And that's one of the reasons why... I haven't been keeping up with my training. I'll just use it until I know I can. Besides, I'm gonna work on aiming with my right eye as well. This isn't all about the Sharingan. Not yet, at least." Kakashi spoke up confidently.

Jiraiya contemplated the truthful answer that Kakashi gave him. _'Back on track'_ he thought.

"Alright, brat. You have the rest of the day to work on your aim. Just have in mind that if you pass out because of the Sharingan and end up in the hospital, I'll have you under my training for two months instead of one. Understood?" Jiraiya pointed a menacing finger at the jounin, but he got a satisfactory nod from the boy in question. After leaving a word of meeting the next day at the same place and time, Jiraiya disappeared leaving a trail of leaves behind.

Kakashi let out a long sigh. He re-covered his Sharingan and got ready to practice targeting.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks reviewers!

I'm sorry it took so long, but hopefully the length compensates for tardiness? I feel like I'm dragging too much when it comes to their training, so I would like to know what you think about those scenes.


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